The Lady and the Thief
by twilight-la-fae
Summary: rated PG-13 just in case. All Bianca wants is to be free of her pathetic suitors, and find someone to love. Puck is the 'Queen' of thieves, carefree, and holds everything Bianca has ever dreamed of. Slashy, so beware.
1. Puck, the Queen of Thieves

Disclaimer- What makes you think I own anything?

**A.N. ** OK, this is my second fic. Go me! Right now I'm listening to Fuel. Luvly luvly band.  So this is my first stab at a Tamora Pierce fic. It's set somewhere after Trickster's Choice. For wondering minds, I did get Puck's name from good old Billy Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream….Which I recently preformed in…although I was Demetruis. It's so confusing. AMSND you think it's the story about Bottom and Titiana, and then it gives you Helena and Lysander.  Although it's kind of ironic that the guy's name is Nick Bottom, and he gets turned into an ass. Oh, by the way, this story IS about a lesbian couple. If you're homophobic, please don't flame me. Just don't read it. Thanks, Twilight

~*~*~*~*~*~* **Puck, The Queen of Thieves. **

          George Cooper walked purposely into The Dancing Dove. He wanted to see a friend of his. Not hiding his appearance, he called out to various people in the busy pub. Walking with an authortive air he made his way to the table by the fireplace. Sitting in the 'throne' chair of thieves sat a young woman, in her late teens. The girl's short shaggy hair masked her eyes as she leaned in to deal a hand of poker. Hanging from her ears were two large silver hoops. She wore a midriff showing camisole and worn breeches with shredded hems.  Her feet were in heavy black boots placed sturdily on the wooden floor. The calloused hand that pushed her dirty blonde (as in the color) hair out of her face was adorned with many silver and gold bracelets and an arm cuff glowed in the candle light.  Many necklaces were carelessly placed around her neck.  Suddenly she spoke to George,

          "George, you gonna stand there all day gawking, or are ye gonna come over here and say hello to a fellow royal?" she asked, looking up at him, revealing a pixyish looking face and beautiful gold-green eyes. George grinned and pulled up a chair next to her. 

          "Not a royal anymore, Puck. I believe the previous Lord took that title from me and you from him." Puck, the girl, grinned. She nodded.

          "That I did." She said. George smiled at her. Pixyish she looked and acted in the same way. She made a very good thief. Smart, cunning, mischievous, and teasing, she practically charmed money out of people's pockets. Placing her head on her hand, Puck smiled back. Catching sight of something on her shoulder, George suddenly frowned and traced the outline of it with his finger.

          "When, and why, in seven hells did you get this?" he asked. Puck looked down at the snake tattoo curving around her left shoulder and down her forearm. She shrugged with a careless smile.

          "Cause I wanted to. It hurt like hell the first couple weeks but now its fine." George started to respond chidingly when Puck cut him off. She held up a pocket watch. "This is pretty. Alanna give it to you? Or did pretty Ali?"  George gaped for a second. He hadn't seen, let alone felt, Puck pinch the watch from his pocket. However he quickly recovered. He mock-glared at her.

          "Puck…" he growled at her. The pretty girl shrugged. 

          "I wasn't gonna _keep _it. Listen, George I don't need a lecture. I'm my own woman. I do what I want. I don't need to be scolded like a child. Ok?" she asked. He nodded, and took the watch back. Abruptly they were interrupted by a very drunken man staggering into their table.  He slammed a pouch of money on the table. 

          "How much for a night, girl?" he slurred. Suddenly the bar got really quiet. George closed his eyes for a second, and then opened them to see how Puck took this 'offer'. To everybody's amazement, she grinned. She stood and put an arm around the man's shoulders.

          "You're new about here aren't you?" The man nodded sluggishly. Puck, still grinning, nodded reassuringly. 

"Then please, le me fill you in on some things. One, I'm not a whore. Two, I'm the 'Queen' of thieves. Three, well, I'm just not attracted to men. I go for women dontcha see. Sorry, chap." As she said this she steered the man towards the door.

 "Are you staying here?" she asked. The man nodded. She led him towards the stairs. "Well, then I think you've had quite too much to drink. Don't you think so lads?" she asked the thieves in the bar.

 They let out a resounding 'Yes!' 

Smiling, Puck patted the drunk on the shoulder. "I think it's time ye went to bed." 

The man, entranced by her words, nodded again and blundered up the stairs. George shook his head, laughing. Puck had obviously gotten used to those kinds of offers and had gotten better at refusing them. 

One memorable incident involved one of those offers, a broken nose, three broken fingers and a couple of ribs, and that was just what Puck had done to the guy. She had gotten off with a crescent moon shaped scar that ran from her navel to her inner thigh on her right leg. 

Puck sauntered back to her seat by the fireplace. George grinned at her. 

          "You've gotten better at handling those situations, lass." Puck grinned, and puffed out her chest proudly. 

          "I always have." She said. George raised an eyebrow. He poked the spot where her scar began on her stomach. Puck rolled her eyes. "That was just one time where I lost my temper a bit." George snorted at 'a bit'. 

          "'A bit' meaning breaking six bones?" he asked. She rolled her eyes.

          "It was five bones. Two rib and three fingers. I just dislocated the cartilage in his nose."  George shook his head. He lifted his beer, which he had ordered during the excitement, in a surrendering way. Puck lifted her own mug of rum and clinked it to his.

          "Cheers," they said to one another, and downed the alcohol. They had quite a bit to catch up on, and the night was wasting away.

**A.N. **ok guys, what do you think? Good for the first chapter? Kewl. In the next chapter, I'll introduce Bianca. Ok? Good. Now scroll down and push that lovely purple button and REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!! Thnx, Twilight****


	2. the New and Longer Bianca of ForestStead

**Disclaimer- **Nope. Not me.

**A.N. **Hello everybody! (Readers mumble a reply) In this chapter, I will be introducing Bianca. Ok, so here in Maryland, it was all warm and spring-ish, and now WHAMEE! Freezing! I'm wrapped up in a blanket typing with cold fingers. Listening to Alanis Morissette. Really like her. Although think she is a little messed in the head. Have no more to say so review my story. Cheers, Twilight _several weeks later_ok guys, i've retracted this chapter and made it longer for yall. for all you aprentice readers- im sorry i havnt updated in a while. my muse decided on vacation during May. she is soon to return. ::authoress writes angry letter to muse in purto rico.::so, here is the newer, _longer_ Bianca of ForestStead

Chapter Two Lady Bianca of ForestStead

Bianca sat on her windowsill, moodily kicking the wall. She had just been informed by her father that she will be staying, as all noble maidens are supposed to, in Corus for her eighteenth birthday and forthwith until she found a suitable husband, and that she would be leaving the following day. Bianca snorted. 'Not likely, she thought. She had no intention of encouraging any man to marry her. Instead, she had an overwhelming attraction for women. However, her parents had been horrified at the suggestion the she was not attracted men. They quickly assured her it was just a phase.

That had been two years ago, and the feeling of discomfort while men courted her showed no signs of letting up any time soon.

Bianca sighed. All there would be in Corus were women hungry young men, and she would have no escape. 'Unless…no, impossible.' She thought. 'Impossible, how?' She argued to herself. 'All you need to do is while you're traveling through the city, ask to relieve yourself, or something, and when they're not looking, grab your stuff and run! Find work in a tavern as a barmaid,' the more reckless side of her told her. 'No way,' the well-trained lady inside her took hold. 'The king's guard will find you. And your parents will be furious! Go to Corus, but keep to yourself, don't give anybody encouragement. Once your parents find you lonely, and unhappy, they will take you back home.'

Bianca sighed. She knew that she should do her parents bidding. She just wished she didn't feel so trapped. Suddenly her mother blew into the door. 'Speak of the Devil' she thought wirily.

"Bianca, darling, have you asked nanny to help you pack? Oh, stop brooding, silly girl, and get ready! You are leaving tomorrow! Try and be a help, would you?" her mother scolded. Lady Daphne was a tall bossy woman, who was spoiled rotten by Bianca's grandparents and by her father. "Come on, girl, get up and moving, much has to be-Oh!"

Bianca's mother was interrupted by a glowing blue-green light that burst her closet doors open, dresses, underclothes, and stockings, corsets and such flew out of the closet, flying to the large trunk on her bed and neatly folding themselves in the bag. Next, the bathroom door shot open and toiletries were placed on top of the clothes. An extra nightgown draped itself on her bed and a set of clothes for the next morning were folded over a chair.

The lady Daphne stood flabbergasted for a moment then straightened and gave Bianca an annoyed look. Bianca smiled innocently in response.

"Well, if that's taken care of...get ready for bed. I will see you in the morning, goodnight." She said, before sweeping out of the room. Bianca rolled her eyes.

Taking on last glance at the reddening dusk, she drew the curtains and took off her dress and unpinned her unruly curls. Bianca stood in front of her full length mirror, scrutinizing herself. She was tall and shapely with lightly tanned skin. Her lips were full and made for smiling, with an aquiline nose. Despite her shapely body, what she loved most about herself was her hair and her eyes. Her hair was the darkest red, mistaken for black if she stood in darkness. Her eyes her wide, framed with long lashes. Bianca's eyes were the color of the Caribbean by the Copper Isles, blue-green, the same color as her gift.

Sighing, she dressed quickly in her nightgown and set about the wearisome task of brushing out her hair.

The next morning, Bianca's things were loaded into a carrege, and she kissed her mother and father goodbye. Steadying herself on the carrage steps, Bianca waved on last time to her parents and sat inside the carrage.

Corus wasn't that far, a few hours drive from ForesStead, but Bianca loathed traveling there. The ladies in Corus just dithred about _marrige _and _babies _and who had scandled who and other usleless gossip. She belived that women should have more on thier minds then just _marrige. _Bianca admired Lady Alanna and Lady Keladry for getting out the boring socialite life.

Closing her eyes, she wished something, _someone _would free her from this mess.Someone gallant, charming...

Puck

"...witty, smart, cunning, you have to be all of these things to be the King, or Queen in my matter, of Thieves, George, and you know that I am a _perfect _example of all of those marvolous traits." Puck said, sitting jauntily on top of her mare, MoonShadow. George rolled his eyes. Puck and George were taking a walk around Corus, talking of this and that and somehow, not per George's request, they had gotton on the subject of what it takes to be the King, or Queen of Theives.

"So anyway, how is the-oh Great Trickster above who is that woman?" Puck stared, awed at the road, where a carriage rode, surrounded by the men dressed in the green and gold colours of ForestStaed and the ForestStead Elblem, a centaur reaching for a too high apple in a tree in a forest. Riding with them was a beautiful woman, seated on a stormy mare, shoulders back, her posture perfect. Her dark red curls were pulled into a hasty bun, some tumbling down her back. Sea-green eyes framed by dark lashes seemed to challenge everybody in the growing crowd. S

She didn't want to be there, Puck could tell. For a split second, their eyes met, and a flash of excitment streaked through Puck. Then, she was gone, riding away to the castle.

Bianca

After about an hour and a half, Bianca got bored of traveling in the carriage. Despite the guards protests, she rode her horse, RainStorm, the rest of the way. Traveling through the city, she challenged everybody to try and break her guard.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a young woman speaking with an older, annoyed looking man. She ignored the older man, and instead focused on the woman. She wasn't tall, sort of mediam height, probably a little shorter then her. Sandy, brown-blonde hair was cut badly, all diffrent lengths, making her look a little scruffy.

She wore a lose fitting shirt with the sleeves shorn off, and baggy breeches. Many earings, bracelets and necklaces adorned her, including a small ringlet tiara around her forehead. Her body and face looked sort of...faeish, pixie-like. Beautiful cat-like green gold eyes scrutinized her. Bianca stared boldly back. It was then, for a second, their eyes met. Bianca felt liberated, excitment poured through her.

Then she moved her horse to a faster pace, and rode up to the castle gates.

A.N. so is that _longer _for you people? sheesh, i got so much crap from some people. coughvamperflycough. ok, so in the next chappy I may have Puck and Bianca actually meet. Yay! Oh gawd, I need to start typing up the sixth chapter for the Apprentice.argness. happy news, though, my muse is coming back asap, after she works on her tan a little. so in a day or two, she will be back. hopefully with some puta rican guys she met there. ::waggles eyebrows at readers:: au, reviour, yeah yeah i know i spelled that screwy chow.

btw, srry about odd indentation things and mispelled words, im i did this on the edit thing and i could download the spellcheck, so srry


	3. A Run In With Thieves

Disclaimer- ha. Hahahahahah. You aren't serious are you? Hahahahahahah.

A.N. I AM SO SORRY! I know! I'm a horrible writer! I had the biggest case of writers block ever. I just moved. I just got horses. My room's a mess. I went to Scotland for three weeks.  School ended. My computer went to computer heaven. I promise not to procrastinate anymore.  So…er…where did we leave off? Oh yeah! Ok, here we go…

Chapter 3- A Run in With Thieves

             Bianca forcefully smiled politely at the young man who offered to escort her to dinner. 'Do I look three? I think I can manage my way to dinner by myself, thank you' she inwardly seethed. But she steadied her face into a polite mask and agreed.

"Of course, I would be honored, Sir Joel." She said. The burly nineteen years old smiled.

"Please, call me Joel, Lady Bianca." Joel said with a flirtatious smile. Willing herself not to strangle the blonde man in front of her, she lowered her eyelashes and smiled back.

"Only if you refrain from calling me Lady, Joel." There. Everything her parents, mentors have ever taught her about being a lady. Lowered eyelashes, flirtatious smiles, polite agreements to being escorted everywhere, the pure image of a modest noble lady. Mithros, she hated it.

"Bianca it is. See you at dinner, then." Joel bowed and left Bianca smiling after him, then shut the door of her rooms behind him, the smile frozen in place.

"Oh, of course, Sir Knight, escort me to dinner. Sir Knight, let me hold our hand. Oh, Sir Knight, I would adore coming to your jousting match! Oh, Sir Knight, please, let me undo your breeches!" Bianca mocked in a high pitched girlish voice. Rosie, her servant from when she was a little girl, looked reprovingly from the bed where she unpacked clothes.

"Lady, your poor mother would have had a heart attack if she had heard what you just said." Rosie scolded. Bianca rolled her eyes. Her mother would go into a dead faint if she heard _half _of the stuff that came out of her mouth. Flopping down on the bed, she sighed.

"I just wish that the men here would just leave me alone."

 Rosie yanked a shift out from under her, tutting, but in a more sympathetic way. She understood Bianca's predicament, and instead of suppressing the way Bianca felt, she regularly ignored it. 'If the Goddess made you liking women, hell, I'm not one to argue with her intentions.' She once told the upset girl. Now, she just looked at the girl on the bed with small pity in her eyes.

"Well, sorry, love, but you are pretty lass, well formed, and they won't just _leave you alone._" Rosie flicked a dress from the trunk. "Now, will you help me please?" Bianca idly flicked her fingers at the trunk. Clothes zipped from the trunk to various drawers and closets, going in neatly folded or hung up. Rosie shoved the trunk into the closet and then flopped down on the huge bed next to Bianca.

The two women sighed. Bianca turned to the older woman.

"I saw a girl today."  Rosie rolled her eyes.

"So? I saw four chickens and a pig. What of it?" the older woman goaded Bianca, knowing that she had more to say then that.

"She had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. Like cats, gold-green. She was pretty too, looked like some kind of royal. Had a tiara." Rosie stiffened at this. She glanced quickly at Bianca.

"I think I know who you mean…the woman with the man in the street today, yes?" her eyes grew sharp. "Aye, we all know her. You'd be best put staying away from that girl." Rosie stood and went to the closet. "Which dress will you be wearing tonight, love?" changing the subject abruptly.

Bianca was puzzled. "Why should I stay away from her?" Rosie didn't answer, but to ask her ask her again for the dress. Bianca rolled her eyes.  She hated it when Rosie withheld stuff from her.

"The green one; Rosie, why should I stay away from the girl?" she persisted. Rosie sighed in defeat. She laid out the green dress, a shift, petticoats and a corset, and turned back to Bianca.

"Because…," she moved towards her adjoining room. She stood in the doorframe and turned to face Bianca again. "Because...she's the Queen of Thieves." She shut the door, leaving Bianca staring after her.

_Puck _

             Puck laid haphazardly on her bed in the Dancing Dove. Half of her body was flopped on the bed, the other half hanging off, a bottle of rum hanging in her hand. It should be noted that she was dead to the world. But not for long.

"AUNT PUCKY!!!!!" a child, a young boy of four, followed the yell into the room, banging on a bin lid with a wooden sword. Puck awoke with a start, snorting in surprise, and fell off the bed. 

"BLOODY HE-"

"PUCK! If you say what I think you're going to say you better swallow it RIGHT NOW."

"-llo, Miriam; Callan." Puck winced as Callan banged on the metal lid again, her hangover, ripping through her skull. "'Ey, kid, try not making so much noise." Miriam looked triumphant.

"Oh, no, Puck. This should teach you to drink so much. Now, I seem to remember you agreeing to teach your nephew how to swordfight." Puck looked horrified, her eyes widening and her skin paled. Noticing this, Callan looked downcast, obviously thinking that his aunt would refrain from teaching him. Then Puck broke out in a huge grin, tossed the surprised boy over her shoulder and walked, albeit a bit wavering, to the door. Miriam looked pleased.

"'Ey, Miriam, when exactly did I agree to this?" Miriam smirked.

"Last night when you were piss drunk," Puck winced again, and nodded. This would teach her from ever, _ever,_ getting drunk again while her sister was around. She shrugged and brought Callan down to the street.

"Now, kid-"

"My name is Callan." Puck frowned at him.

"I know that. Now, listen up kid,-"

"My name is _Callan. _Not _kid._" Callan insisted. Puck gave an exasperated sigh.

"ALRIGHT! _Callan._This is how you hold the sword,"

_Bianca _

             She just barely got through dinner the night before without strangling her dinner mate. Tonight she would take dinner in her room. She shuddered at the memory of the dinner before. The women on her right chattered endlessly about nothing, while _Joel _prattled on about his many battles and fights and women he's had thrown at his feet. However, she thought her teeth might brake from smiling so hard. Joel obviously believed in the _'women should be seen, not heard.' _ Bianca positively _hated _that saying. She flopped back onto her bed, mulling over her thoughts.

The girl with the cat's eyes would not get off her mind. The girl was beautiful, in a pixy, mischievous way. _The Queen of Thieves. _ She wondered what her name was.

It must be great, to be queen of your own self. To do what you want, say what you please, wear what you care. It must be absolute _freedom. _

A/N.!

 I know very short interlude for Bianca, but it was important. I have noticed that I'm getting a very Jack Sparrow vibe from Puck, dontcha think? Wink wink.

_Puck_

             "Ow! Little Blighter! That hurt! No sneaking up Auntie Puck while she isn't looking!" cried Puck, nursing a bruised wrist. Callan looked perfectly innocent.

"But, Auntie, didn't you just teach me about stealth and how to attack people from the behind _when they aren't looking?_" Puck looked at him. The blasted kid was right. But she found away around getting beaten by a four year old.

"Aye, but I didn't mean _me. _Especially while Auntie is talking with someone, ok? Now, that ends the lesson today. Go tell your mother that I will never drink again."

Callan nodded obediently and set off to find his mother.

"Now, George, when exactly am I going to see the rest of your lovely family? It's been years since I've seen Alanna. I've met Ali about twice since she's come back from the Copper Isles with her new husband, Thom barely sees the light of day, and Alan is busy on the border. Why won't you let me see them?"  Puck pouted. George grinned.

"As you know, I live a very busy life. I'm the Spy Master. My wife is the Realm's Protector. My daughter is busy trying to have a family. Alan is working at the border. Thom is working with Master Numair. I'm sorry, but you are just not important enough to be visited." Puck smacked him lightly.

"How's the fancy-shamncy shit going on up at the Palace?" she asked. She liked knowing what the nobles were up too. Especially the Provest. ( a/n. is that right?)

"Everything's fine, I suppose. Sasha, Master Numair and Lady Daine's daughter, is turning three, the King and Queen are proposing a law that states commoners have as many rights as nobles in court. It was originally proposed by Lady Kel, but its taken six years to compromise with everyone. The new noblewoman celebrity is Lady Bianca of ForestStead (the red-haired woman you saw yesterday), who is being currently courted by Sir Joel of Harper's Spear. Does that sooth your craving for gossip?" Puck rolled her eyes, and nodded. George suddenly frowned, and glanced at his pocket watch.

"Sweet Trickster, look at the time, I'd best be going. Stay out of trouble, Puck." She rolled her eyes, and saw him off. 

As soon as he had left, Puck wished he hadn't. Now, she was bored.

_Bianca_

             Bianca moved silently through the near empty halls. Most people were at lunch, or out in the training grounds. Hopefully, no one would notice her, thought Bianca. She wore a simple brown maid's dress over a plain shift with an apron. Her hair was wrapped up in a white scarf, wound so that no hair was shown. She used this disguise often, whenever she wanted to ride alone, or go into the town without being caught as a noble.

Once she had safely made it to the stables, she saddled RainStorm and mounted up. She moved quickly and quietly out of the palace, through the gates and to the city. 

Reaching the loud, disorganized, marketplace she smiled. She rode through the people, being cautious of the children that played in the streets.

Bianca loved this sort of freedom that she got. Once in a while, she would just leave as a maid and explore. Dismounting, she led her horse through the streets, observing and exclaiming over stands and shops. Reaching a glassblowers shop, she smiled as she examined the beautiful colored glass.

Yes, what a wonderful lie it was.

_several hours later _

 Bianca nearly shrieked when she noticed the time. It was steadily growing dark, past dinner. Rosie would be _furious. '_Damn it! Damn my stupidity!' she thought angrily. She should have _noticed. _There weren't many people out, all leaving before dark. Stupid, silly girl! She thought to herself.  Spending time fantasizing in shop after shop, what a stupid girl I am, she thought.

Quickly exiting the book shop she was in, Bianca ran to the glassblower's shop, where she had asked a boy to look after Rain. She found him easily, throwing him a few coins and mounting up. However, she didn't stay on for very long.

"Hello, me darlin'. Why don' ye come o'er 'ere an' give us yer money, tha's a good lass."  A voice hissed in her ear as she was dragged off her horse. Another man grabbed Rain while the man holding her threw her into another mans arms. Glancing around her, Bianca confirmed her fears. She was surrounded by thieves.

A/N. Whoopee. Now I can get my foot to wake up and go riding with my brother. Does this satisfy everyone? Ok, well, I'll work on The Apprentice tomorrow. Ahhhhhhh! Foot! Tingly! Pins and Needles! Owwwwww! Ok, gtg now, I love you. And remember, if you review, you get a Numair plushie! Yay! So review! And the first person to review gets a cookie! So, once again, Review! 

 


	4. Rescues, and, gasp! More Thieves

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim anything from Tamara Pierce.

A/N: Long time no update, huh? I'm truly sorry, but you see, there is this horrible thing out there called reality, and I got sucked into it. Also, high school is a bitch, I'm taking the SSATs on Saturday morning, and I'm not too prepared, and I have exams all next week. Hope you all had good holidays. I did, even it was a bit stifled, because none of us were truly in the holiday spirit. Ok, chapter time.

Tlf.

Chapter 4, Rescues and, Believe it or Not, More Thieves.

Bianca backed up, her eyes wide with fear as she did so.

"My…my lords, please, I have nothing of value, Let me by," she said falteringly, fear making her throat dry and her voice shake. The men laughed in her face, baring evil smiles.

"Girl, you have a horse, and even if you aint got nothin', you still got somethin' pretty girl," one leered, reaching out and grabbing one of her breasts and twisting painfully.

Bianca cried out in surprise and pain, before reaching out and slapping him, turning his face about. The group of thieves laughed cruelly, including the man she had slapped, before he turned and backhanded her across the face.

Bianca fell to her knees, seeing stars for a moment and tasting blood. "Let me go," she repeated, spitting out the blood that welled in her mouth.

The men jeered at her, and the man who had touched her kicked her. Her horse let out a distressed whiney.

"Get the maid against the wall, Geoff, show her how it's done," a man in the back snickered. Bianca, wheezing in pain, panicked, and kicked out, her hands flying out, nails trying to gain a purchase, however, Geoff was much stronger then her, and pinned her arms behind her back, pushing her forcefully against the wall. Bianca tried in vain to scream, but he placed a hand over her mouth, disregarding her gnashing teeth as he went to undo his breeches. He had untied them and was starting to push up her skirts when he choked suddenly, eyes wide with surprise as he let her go, and fell to his knees while Bianca scrambled away, sobbing as the other men in looked on in shock as their comrade died in front of them, an arrow in his back.

There was a faint whirring sound before another man fell to his knees, dead. One of the men regained his senses, and pulled out the arrow to study it.

With a yelp, he dropped the arrow, and jumped back looking ready to run. Before he fled, he glanced at his fellow thieves. "_The Queen,_" he hissed, as the other thieves stared at him, before panicking and fleeing, leaving Bianca alone with her horse in the street.

Or so she thought, as several people appeared out of the shadows. Bianca let out a strangled sound, still in shock and in the throes of fear as they approached.

"Don't panic, lass, we won't hurt ye," a female voice called, soothing and reassuring. Her whole body quaked as they reached her, taking down their hoods and revealing their faces. Bianca burst into dry sobs, gasping for breath as she shivered and quaked. She barely heard the woman murmur to her companions,

"She's in shock, best get her to the Inn, and see what Miriam can do,"

She barely heard the end of the sentence before blackness claimed her world.

Puck

Puck worriedly sipped her juice, not wanting a repeat of that morning. Her eyes found her sister's as the healer came down the stairs from Puck's room, where the young lass they had saved was staying. Miriam sat down at her table, and smiled wearily at her sister.

"The lass is out like a candle, and recovering from the shock. She'll have a nasty bruise on her face and stomach though, where the bastards kicked her." She said. Puck nodded, looking furious.

"I'm going to have to get the network out, find the bastards and take care of them." She said, tired. She detested stomping out rebellion. It made her feel like she wasn't in control. Usually, she kept her people in a tight rein, stomping out any notions of rape, murder, and rebellion firmly. She ruled over the common people like a true monarch, keeping everyone in line, and stealing from those who could afford it.

Wearily, Puck rested her head in her arms. "Have ye gotten the lass's name from her?" she asked, words muffled by her arms. Miriam shook her head, and, realizing her sister could not see it, spoke up. "No, but you should check with Fred if he's got anything from the horse." She said.

Not lifting her head, Puck called across the room. "Fred-o! Tell me what ye got on the horse."

The tall, auburn haired man strode quickly form his position from the door, and sat down in the remaining chair.

"A bit of information for ye, the lass's horse's tack was all fine leather. The lass's a noble. Had the emblem on the saddlebags and halter." As he spoke, Puck lifted her head to stare at him in surprise, and took the bridle from the stable manager.

Puck's eyebrows shot up as she saw the centaur rearing in the forest. Miriam looked at her with interest.

Do you know who it is? I'm not one for noticing noble's emblems." She asked. Puck nodded, forehead creased with thought.

"Aye…'tis a new lass, goes by the name Bianca or Brittney or the like, of Forest Stead. What in the seven hells was a noble lass such as her doing out in common clothes at night?" she said, the last part more to herself then to her companions. A loud yawn erupted from her, and the young thief stretched. She nodded at her sister and friend, and stood up.

"I'm off to bed," she said. Miriam instantly snapped into her mother mode.

"Oh, of course! Go on, love, off to bed, get some sleep. You look dead on your feet," she mothered, shooing her up the stairs, while Puck scowled at the treatment.

However, Puck ceased to care as she reached her room, shutting and locking the door behind her, and stripping down to her undergarments. Absently glancing at the sleeping woman in her bed, she grabbed the extra mat out from under her bed, and snagged a pillow and a blanket, laying down and instantly falling asleep.

Bianca

Bianca woke up feeling quite relaxed, warm and comfortable. The sun was shining through the window, and someone's light snores were actually quite soothi-wait. Someone's _snores?!_ She knew no one who snored. Then the previous night came rushing back to her. The band of thieves, the slaps and kicks, the attempted rape, the man's sudden death, his eyes clouding over as he died, the three people who saved her, the woman's voice…with a startled sob, she shot up from the bed, trying to assess her whereabouts. Lying on the floor not five feet from her was a woman with her back turned from her, Bianca only making out bed mussed blonde brown hair and a shoulder. Bianca took a deep breath, and sat up, shivering as she realized with indignation that she was only in her shift. She quickly spotted her clothes and, quietly as she could, as to not wake the snoring woman, crept from bed and dressed. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something glittering on the bed stand. A knife. Bianca quietly treaded over to it, keeping an eye on the woman, her heart nearly stopping as the woman suddenly groaned, switching her position lay flat on her stomach. Finally, she reached the bed stand, and picked up the knife. Now, it was time for answers.

Puck

Puck awoke, quite rudely, she might add, with a knife in her face, and wide sea blue eyes staring at her.

"Who are you, and what am I doing here?" the noble girl asked as soon as she'd realized that Puck was awake. However, the noble girl, Britney, or Bianca, something of the sort, started when she fully looked into the thief's eyes. Puck was opening her mouth to speak when the girl cut her off. "Ignore the first question, and focus on this, where, and why am I in the presence of the queen of ruffians?" she asked.

Puck frowned at her, annoyed at the slight to her title, and at having a knife pointed at her. She sighed, and in a blink of an eye, the noble girl gasped as she lay on her back, knife now pointed in her own face, Puck straddling her torso, keeping her shoulders down with her knees.

"Firs' of all, I'm the Queen of Thieves, not ruffians, and I do not like to wake up to knives in my face. And really, Miss, the question should be, why is a noble chit like you doing dressed in common clothes and riding around the city at night?" she said, raising a blonde eyebrow. The red haired girl stared up at her captor.

"How…how…who told you I was noble?" she stammered. Puck rolled her eyes.

"Because, Miss Fancy pants," she started, glowering at the stubborn girl beneath her. "Do you think it would go unnoticed that your horse's tack is made of the finest leather, your family seal embossed in silver on it, and just look at ye, darlin'." She said, looking over the girl critically. The red haired woman looked affronted. "Yer skin's lily pale, yer nails long and treated, though not the pointer on yer right hand, I do believe you broke that last night, and ye talk like a noble." She said, "Ye really thought that no one would notice?"

The girl blushed, and looked ashamed, before regaining her spark. "So? You haven't answered my first question. Why am I here?" she asked defiantly. Puck rolled her eyes again and, knowing for sure that the noble chit wasn't going to try anything, set the knife down, and sat up on her haunches.

"Lass, who do ye think saved yer sorry arse last night? Ye passed out before we had a chance to get anything out of ye. So we brought ye back to the inn." She retorted. The girl looked abashed.

"Thank you," she said quietly. Puck raised her eyebrows at her, before nodding.

"Yer welcome," She said, before looking at the girl. "Will ye not try and kill me now that ye know what happened?" The girl nodded, and Puck stood up, letting the covers that had been around her fall to the floor.

"By the way, I'm Puck." She said carelessly over her shoulder.

Bianca

Bianca felt her eyes go wide at the half naked woman's back, feeling a hot shot of desire flash through her, seeing the lithe body in front of her. Bianca caught herself, reining in the feelings, just as Puck turned around to tell her something. The thief looked at her curiously for a second, before resuming.

"Hey, lass, could ye hand me my shirt? It's over by the lamp." Bianca obediently scrambled up and shyly approached her to hand her the shirt. Puck flashed her a grin and took it.

"Thanks, lass." She said, slipping the tattered shirt over her body, fastening her breech's laces. Bianca frowned at her.

"My name is Bianca, and I'm not a 'lass'. I'm a woman grown." She replied hotly. The blonde thief smirked.

"Right, how old are ye, lass? Six and ten years?" she asked, as Bianca frowned deeper.

"Eight and ten years, thank you very much, I should expect you to be around the same age," she informed petite woman, before adding, "And I'm not a lass any more then you are."

With a wide smirk, Bianca flushed as the shorter woman in front of her roved her eyes down her body, taking in the voluptuous curves and pretty face.

"So yer not," she said with another smirk and a wink. Bianca blushed fiercely, and glared at her. Puck gave her a laugh.

"Now, Miss Bianca, I should expect ye've got some kind of person going frantic with worry over their child, or charge." The thief said, bending down and slipping on her boots.

Bianca gave a guilty gasp. "Rosie!"

Puck nodded at her, grabbing a knee long sleeveless coat vest and a big, wide brimmed hat. "So I thought. Let's be moving then, shall we?"

Bianca studied the girl in front of her, before nodding. "Of course,"

With that, Puck strode from the room, Bianca following close behind.


End file.
